Example embodiments of inventive concepts relate to a semiconductor memory device, and more particularly, to a three-dimensional semiconductor memory device with enhanced reliability.
Semiconductor devices have been highly integrated for satisfying high performance and low manufacture costs which are desired by customers. Since integration of the semiconductor devices is an important factor in determining product price, high integration is increasingly requested in particular. Integration of typical two-dimensional or planar semiconductor memory devices is primarily determined by the area occupied by a unit memory cell, such that it is greatly influenced by the level of technology for forming fine patterns. However, comparatively expensive processing equipment needed to increase pattern fineness may set a practical limitation on increasing the integration of the two-dimensional or planar semiconductor memory devices. Therefore, there have been proposed three-dimensional semiconductor memory devices having three-dimensionally arranged memory cells.